FOOD. 137 



inflaence upon clironic congh and broken wind. Tliey are serviceable in 

 diseases of the skin, and in combination with oats they restore a work 

 horse much sooner than oats alone.' 



Potatoes have been given, and with advantage, in their raw state, shced 

 with the chaff; but, where it has been convenient to boil or steam them, 

 the benefit has been far more evident. Purging has then rarely ensued. 

 Some have given boiled potatoes alone, and horses, instead of rejectmg 

 them, have soon preferred them even to the oat ; but it is better to mix 

 them with the usual manger feed, in the proportion of one pound of potatoes, 

 to two and a half pounds of the other ingredients. The use of the potatoe 

 must depend on its cheapness, and the facility for boiling it. Half a dozen 

 horses would soon repay the expense of a steaming boiler in the saving of 

 provender, ■without taking into the account their improved condition and 

 capability for work. Professor Low says that 15 lbs. of potatoes yield as 

 much nourishment as four pounds and a half of oats. Yon Thayer asserts 

 that three bushels are equal to 112 lbs. of hay ; and Curwen, who tried 

 potatoes extensively in the feeding of horses, says that an acre goes as far 

 as four acres of hay. A horse fed on jDotatoes should have his quantity of 

 water materially curtailed. 



Furze has sometimes been given during the winter months. There is 

 considerable trouble attending the preparation of it, although its plen- 

 tifulness a-nd little value for other purposes would, on a large farm, well 

 repay that trouble. The furze is cut down at about three or foiu' years' 

 growth ; the green branches of that and the preceding year are bruised in 

 a mill, and then given to the horses in the state in which they come from 

 the mill, or cut up with the chaff. Horses are very fond of it. If twenty 

 pounds of the farze are given, five pounds of straw, the beans, and three 

 pounds of the oats, may be Avith drawn. 



It may not be uninteresting to conclude this catalogue of the different 

 articles of horse-food with a list of the quantities of nutritive matter con- 

 tained in each of them ; for although these quantities cannot be considered 

 as expressing the actual value of each, because other circumstances besides 

 the simple quantity of nutriment seem to influence their effect in support- 

 ing the strength and condition of the horse, yet many a useful hint may 

 be derived when the farmer looks over the produce of his soil, and inquires 

 what other grasses or vegetables might suit his land. The list is partly 

 taken from Sir Humphry Davy's AgTicultural Chemistry : — 1,000 parts of 

 wheat contain 955 parts of nutritive matter ; barley, 920 ; oats, 743 ; peas, 

 574; beans, 570 ; potatoes, 230 ; red beet, 148 ; parsnips, 99 ; carrots, 98. 

 Of the grasses, 1,000 parts of the meadow cat's-tail contain, at the time of 

 seeding, 98 parts of nutritive matter ; narrow-leaved meadow grass in 

 seed, and sweet-scented soft gi-ass in flower, 95 ; narrow-leaved and flat- 

 stalked meadow grass in flower, fertile meadow grass in seed, and tall 

 fescue in flower, 93 ; fertile meadow grass, meadow fescue, reed-like fescue, 

 and creeping soft grass in flower, 78 ; sweet-scented soft grass in flower, 

 and the aftermath, 77 ; florin, cut in the winter, 76 ; tall fescue, in the 

 aftermath, and meadow soft gTass in flower, 74 ; cabbage, 73 ; crested 

 dog's-tail and brome when flowering, 71 ; yellow oat, in flower, 66 ; 

 Swedish turnips, 64 ; narrow-leaved meadow grass, creeping beet, round- 

 headed cocksfoot, and spiked fescue, 59 ; roughish and fertile meadow 

 grass, flowering, 56 ; florin, in summer, 54 ; common turnips, 42 ; sain- 

 foin, and broad-leaved and long-rooted clover, 39 ; white clover, 32 ; and 

 lucern, 23. 



The times of feeding should be as equally di\-ided as convenience will 

 permit ; and when it is likely that the horse will be kept longer than usual 

 from home, the nose-bag should invariably be taken. The small stomach 



